This research outlines the Taguchi optimization methodology, which is applied to optimize cutting parameters in drilling of AISI 1040 steel. The drilling parameters evaluated are cutting speed, feed rate, and helix angle. Series of experiments are conducted to relate the cutting parameters on the thrust force and torque. L27(313) orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ratio is employed to analyze the influence of these parameters on thrust force and torque during drilling. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to study the effect of process parameters on machining process. The study shows that the Taguchi method is suitable to solve the stated problem with the minimum number of trials. The main objective is to find the important factors and combination of factors that influence the machining process to achieve low thrust force and torque. The analysis of the Taguchi method indicates that the feed rate is the most significant factor affecting the thrust force, while the cutting speed contributes the most to the torque.